The Garden Party ©

Story Concept ----
This story amuses the reader by setting ample action and animated imagery.
It includes riddles that should only appear within the illustrations.
Without illustrations to support the verse, it may be difficult to visualize some of the activities - e.g. "Tom just squeezed through to the street, except for the shoes and socks from his feet." (as they scramble through the small hole in the wall, the vines still manage to grab off Tom's shoes and socks)
It offers important lessons such as: "Not to Trespass, no matter how thick the bushes and grass."
A primary lesson is the suggestion that humour can be disarming.
It's difficult to forget what happens to a garden, when left to grow old.


There's a party, in a garden, on Maple Tree Hill.
A party, I'm sure, that is going on still.
Every day it gets louder and bigger than many;
I think that it could be the biggest of any.

Tina and Tom liked to pass there each day;
and, sometimes, they'd even walk out of their way.
On their way home from school the party was loud.
It sounded to be a happy fun crowd.

Even, on days, when the weather was bad,
the party crowd seemed especially glad.
If the day was all cloudy and rain soaked their feet,
the sounds of the party splashed up the street.

But the house was quiet, with no one at home.
The lawn was forgotten; it was quite overgrown.
The gates were chained tight, chained tight for some years,
and the bushes all thick in the front and the rear.
No neighbours were near, to disturb or drop by,
and the stone wall, all around, would stop those who might try.

There are stories of things you may never be told;
like, what happens to gardens when they're left to grow old.

Tina and Tom were a curious two.
They had to know more, more than they knew.
Tom painted Tina, and Tina painted Tom;
they hoped that the watercolour green would stay on.
Tom wore a watermelon shell on his head,
and some leaves made him look like a bush, that's well fed.
He now was a vegetable, all covered in green,
with a plan to sneak through the garden, unseen.

Wearing those glasses, she needed, to see,
Tina looked like a nearsighted tree.

In that garden, well hidden from those who can't climb,
they would both sneak a peek, and be home for lunch time.

Tom would need help getting over the wall.
Even with vines, the wall was too tall.
From where Tina stood,
with a good push, she thought that he could.
Once over the top, some vines were moving on their own.
Tina and Tom were not all alone.
It sounded as if the party was near.
The talking and laughter were easy to hear.
Listening to every word of the group,
Tom started to feel like a terrible snoop.
He knew that they shouldn't trespass,
no matter how thick the bushes and grass.

They followed the voices, near to the middle,
when both of them heard a lumberjack riddle.

RIDDLE: " What did the Tree say to the Lumberjack? "
ANSWER: " Don't axe me."

Tom started to laugh; he just couldn't stop,
when his watermelon shell dropped off, with a ‘PLOP’.
Some watermelon seeds, that were stuck on Tom's nose,
started Tina to laugh, and drop leaves off her clothes.

The party grew quiet, to view this unrest.
Tina and Tom were both party pests.
The vines, that were following, wound up 'round their wrists; both Tina and Tom were tied up in twists.
In front of them stood a six foot tall weed,
a dandelion in a sports jacket of tweed.

A garden is different from all other places.
It's magic can even give sunflowers faces.
After a time, some plants it replaces,
with lots of strange ones, that can talk in most cases.
Tom didn't like what each had to say.
The weeds were all whispering about making them stay.
" No one must know of our garden in here,
one said, they must stay, for at least a whole year. "

Tina knew how to escape from the vines;
she quickly told Tom, and he wasted no time.
Tom started telling some jokes that were old.
Soon, the vines became loose, and began to unfold.

RIDDLE: " Why did the tree cross the road? "
ANSWER: " The shade was better on the other side. "

RIDDLE: " What would you call a smart garden that jokes? "
ANSWER: " A wiseacre. "

One after another, ten jokes Tom told.
The vines wiggled, then wriggled, and let go their hold.
Then, Tina and Tom ran straight for the wall,
and a small hole in the wall,
through which they might crawl.

Tom just squeezed through to the street,
except for the shoes and socks from his feet.

Behind them, they heard, the grass was still giggling;
and the trees, all around, were dancing and jiggling.
They haven't told anyone, what happened that day;
Tina and Tom think it better that way.

Now, whenever they pass by the wall, Tom will yell.
He tells them a joke,
and the weeds think it's swell.

Whenever you find you're with unfriendly folks,
it may be the best to tell some good jokes.

THE END